Analysis of the sense of belonging among young people as a key factor for sustainable tourism in the municipality of Mesetas (Meta, Colombia)

Abstract

This paper focuses on the issues related to the sense of belonging among young people in the municipality of Mesetas, and the local community's management of sustainable tourism. The young people of this municipality are not immune to the migration of the local population to cities. Furthermore, given the area's abundant water resources and natural environment, the tourism sector presents significant development potential. Therefore, as an activity comprised of a wide variety of businesses and stakeholders, it requires community self-management, in collaboration with public, private, and non-governmental actors. This highlights the need for a foundation of community interest and commitment to adding value to the municipality as a tourist destination. According to Rodríguez and Pineda (2021), there is concern that young people have migrated to urban areas in search of better opportunities, creating challenges such as the difficulty of securing the human resources necessary to implement the municipality's economic, social, and cultural initiatives.

Objectives. The main objective is to analyze how the sense of belonging that young people have to the municipality can be a key factor in the process of consolidating sustainable tourism. To this end, the study began by identifying the factors that generate a sense of belonging in young people, conducting a principal component analysis, and proposing lines of action to strengthen this sense of belonging to the municipality of Mesetas, thus contributing to the consolidation of generational renewal in Mesetas.

The research methodology focuses on applied research with a sequential mixed-methods approach, including the application of a questionnaire and qualitative tools (Hernández, 2014). The sample consisted of 116 students from the tenth and eleventh grades of the Los Fundadores Educational Institution in the municipality of Mesetas (Meta, Colombia).

Results. The analysis highlights the aspects that generate the most interest among students, such as the natural landscape, the most frequently mentioned argument (57%) used by students to encourage others to visit the municipality of Mesetas. They mention waterfalls, crystal-clear rivers, viewpoints, and agroecological sites, which inspire joy, peace, tranquility, a love of nature, a desire to spend time with family, and a disconnection from the outside world. These features also evoke memories of family outings and make them feel they are in a magical place. Cultural traditions, typical dances, the Llanero culture, and its gastronomy fill them with pride and generate a desire to share them with tourists. The proposed lines of action for strengthening a sense of belonging towards sustainable tourism are: (1) a sociocultural action line, with two strategies: community participation and culture and sports; (2) an economic action line, with two strategies: business cases and family businesses; and (3) a final environmental action line with its strategy of innovation in sustainable practices.
Conclusions: Finally, they highlight the territorial unity in various areas such as sports, and extend an invitation to continue promoting these sociocultural dynamics.
Contribution/Originality: The results presented here originated from the research project “Strategies for Strengthening Tourism Potential: Leadership and Sense of Belonging. A Comparative Case Study between the Municipalities of Mesetas and Cubarral, Meta.